The Social Networker

by Chris Miller at 03:17:16 PM on Monday, March 30th, 2009
We discussed the pending launch of the Blackberry App World on Episode 14 of TheSocialGeeks podcast.  Research in Motion (RIM) has the ability to take a chunk of the market for handheld applications in the corporate world with proper marketing, distribution and pricing.  Nokia and WMD devices are next up to get stores this summer too.

Pricing

We all know that the iPhone App Store offers pricing anywhere from free.  Apple then takes 30% of the sales price as their own.  RIM on the other hand is shooting for 20% of the sales price that jumps to a minimum of $2.99 after free.  What this means for RIM is they will make more per sale than Apple.  If they can get the marketing right.  RIM is not just an enterprise product as numerous people now rely on the Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) through the cell providers.  You can then 'upgrade' to BES service which gives the enterprise access, controls and activations on top of BIS.

For RIM to penetrate the consumer market, they will need to drop some of the entry level pricing to match Apple and build as large a catalog.  Tossing and collecting tons of free applications is a key start to reach the end user.  Having bundles that come with the cell provider device versions for free is an excellent selling point when you sit in the store and hunt for a new phone/device.  That moves us to marketing.

Marketing

First thing, RIM must get the app store as an icon on each and every Blackberry device sold.  The new Storm on Verizon has this exact feature and drives you to download a fixed set of free applications right away.  This currently has no way to browse for anything outside of it and finding more on the Internet is always a duck hunt.  You never know what is good, how much it will be and how to get it.  Making this app center visible as soon as you start your device is almost like suggesting users buy more things.

RIM will also need to not only hit the enterprises hard with the sales of corporate applications (like SalesForce and bundle licenses), but the consumer with marketing around Skype, SlingPlayer Mobile and even Google integration apps that exist.  Centralizing this marketing push is a key movement from them to get the name Blackberry from being looked at as corporate only.  I only say this as even those concumers I know that got a Pearl or Curve, only chose these since they looked closest to the iPhone without being on AT&T.

One other key is how RIM deploys updates quickly and allows you to exist and update to most any of them across providers.  Not one version and make me Jailbreak you, like Apple.  I can download the most recent OS version for my device, remove the vendor file and upgrade away.  My apps keep working, new features get added and the user is happy.  Corporations handle this in mass through testing and OTA deployments.

Another piece of marketing the the beautiful, inherent, full QWERTY keyboard on many of the devices.  A lot of people do not like typing on the iPhone and this is a huge win for RIM.  I, myself, got used to the Storm but still cant type as fast on the iPhone.  RIM has penetration into each and every carrier, unlike Apple, and can use that to beat the freakin pants off of them.

Distribution

Before we get into how the Blackberry device gets the application, we need to mention the global presence of RIM already.  As Apple started in the US only and is slowly going out through AT&T globally, RIM has been there since they started.  You can take any of the devices (with tri or quad band support) anywhere on the globe and get service.  They need to capitalize on this early lead.

Another strength of the Blackberry that many do not know is the ability to install all these applications OTA (over the air).  Most people think you have to download it locally and then sync your Blackberry with the Desktop Manager that comes whether you are enterprise or consumer.  OTA simplifies installation and updates for everyone.

If you are corporate, your company can then buy packaged multiple licenses for mass distribution.  This ability also beats Apple since they must sell each and every one individually.  Imagine the volume sale to a company with thousands of devices and the return for RIM?  Companies can control OTA deployments with ease through the BES server (policy driven already so don't ask).  So they download and buy once and deploy once.

Summary

As usual, I jump around a bit, because I type as I think.  Through multiple license sales, bundles with cell carriers and a global corporate presence, RIM can make a huge leap and take a chuck of this emerging market.

by Chris Miller at 08:05:33 PM on Tuesday, August 21st, 2007
Zyb was much more than I thought when I first read the specs on it.  A tool to store stuff from your phone onto the server.  Interesting.  Sounds like a plan to start texting your friends like Twitter after they grab your address book.  Well wait a second.  You can not only store them, but assign another of the 100+ types of phones to your account and then sync back down?  Whoa!  All of the basic features for free, for now it says.  Not such how they plan on making money if they don't have some sort of paid service coming up.  Note what thought I had at the end of this posting

I looked up Blackberry and sure enough, 2 models (Pearl and 8700) were supported for mail, contacts and calendar.  Here is what the site says in the description:
What is Zyb?

Zyb is an easy way to store your phone's contacts, pictures, text messages and calendar events online.  ZYB also lets you connect with people you know and makes sure you always have their updated contact details on your phone.  As most of your real life friends are already on your phone, ZYB gives some additional social features like photo tagging and content sharing with the people you know.

How Does ZYB work?
ZYB lets you sync your phone's contents, over-the-air, with our server and allows you to control it online.  Each time you add or change data on your phone or on ZYB, and sync, your ZYB account is copied onto your phone and vice versa.


So let me give this a shot and try and out.  This actually sounded like a new way to do moving data from one cell to another.


Conference/Article Materials

My Files

Yes this is a blatant theft of the outline that Jess uses on her page, but I asked permission. Why?? Because I am a hardcore admin and can make ugly tables to make you developers frustrated, but this was too nice to pass up.

Also Known As: Chris Miller (when awake)

Boring Certifications: (only because someone asked twice)

  • Workplace Collaboration Services 2.5 - Team Collab and Messaging
  • Domino 7 Certified Security Administrator
  • PCLP ND7
  • PCLP ND6
  • PCLP R5
  • PCLP R4
  • CLP Collaboration (soon to be retired Aug 2006)
  • random former R4 exams
  • CLI for numerous admin areas including Domino, Sametime and Workplace
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Yes, I write some of those dreaded admin cert exams you take. I won't say which ones so you don't come looking for me, but I will say they are the real good recent ones that have been coming out.

Weapons/Equipment:

  • At work an IBM 2 GHz
  • At home a plethera of 6 machines with various Windows versions and Red Hat on a wired/wireless LAN
  • A Toshiba E740 with 802.11b (yes geek toy)
  • An Apple 40GB iPod that is filled to the brim
  • Compaq RioPort MP3 player (now in storage)
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Animals:

One dog, a Pug. He has been on this world before and seems to understand slippers and a fine cigar. Mind you that is him in the chair and not me.

Let us now also add a deranged cat that is in the process of being toilet trained. Update: Toilet traning was very very close.

Music:

Non-stop. At my desk, in my car, walking to work and back to my car downtown. In the house there is a crazy zoned set-up for you home automation geeks.

I am a self-proclaimed MP3 fiend, to which I have tried rehab 4 billion times to no avail. Next is the MP3 hard-drive for the car that I found. Now what kind of music you ask? I will never tell.

Languages:

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Geek class special abilities:

  • Notes/Domino overdrive
  • Workplace
  • Sametime
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  • Quickplace
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Skills:

Get back to you here

Spells:

Hershey’s Stomach of Holding: Jess and I are fighting over who eats more chocolate. TWDUFF can help me out and vouch for me.

Character Bio:

This will take far more time than I have today. I will start with I was born and still live in St. Louis, MO. Even though for a couple years I was never, ever here and always on the road, this is smack in the middle of the US. Everything is just a few hour flight. That part is nice. No beach/ocean/coast isn't the best. But with the travel I make up for it.

Don't Panic

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